550-Pound Bear Removed in Ten Minutes

A 550-pound black bear occupied an Altadena homeowner’s crawl space for over a month, highlighting challenges within California’s wildlife management framework where a private nonprofit successfully resolved the situation in approximately ten minutes using specialized, non-lethal methods.

Key Findings

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) made multiple, unsuccessful attempts to remove the bear, identified as “Yellow 2120,” from Ken Johnson’s residence.
The bear caused significant property damage, including a ruptured gas line, which required the homeowner to live without hot water for several weeks.
The BEAR League, a Lake Tahoe-based nonprofit organization, successfully evicted the bear in ten minutes using innovative, non-lethal tactics.
The incident provides a case study for comparing governmental procedures and specialized private organization responses in practical wildlife management situations.

Challenges in Agency Response

Homeowner Ken Johnson, 63, reported enduring over a month of protracted efforts by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to remove the 550-pound bear from beneath his Altadena home. The bear’s presence resulted in critical utility damage, including a damaged gas line, forcing Johnson to shut off utilities. The CDFW’s repeated attempts illustrate the limitations of standardized, procedural approaches when addressing complex, unique wildlife challenges in residential areas.

Specialized Private Solution Achieves Rapid Results

The BEAR League, a nonprofit led by 74-year-old Ann Bryant, resolved the situation quickly after the agency’s efforts had concluded. Using specialized, non-lethal methods including paintball guns filled with vegetable oil and electrified mats, the BEAR League team successfully evicted the animal in approximately ten minutes. This successful outcome demonstrates the efficacy of specialized, non-governmental organizations in deploying targeted, innovative responses to real-world wildlife challenges affecting residents.

Bear that lived in crawl space in California home evicted – YouTube

Impact of Wildlife Policy on Residential Property

Mr. Johnson’s experience raises a discussion point regarding the balance between California’s environmental policies and residential property management. The bear caused substantial property damage, including gas line destruction, while the homeowner’s personal attempts at deterrents, such as ammonia and loud noise recordings, proved ineffective. This situation underscores how current environmental regulations and protracted governmental processes can impact property owners facing destruction from protected wildlife.

A bear that made its den in the crawl space of an Altadena, California home was finally removed after over a month,

Bear Relocation and Subsequent Monitoring

Following eviction from Johnson’s property, Yellow 2120 was reported to have immediately moved to two additional Altadena homes, occupying the second for one day and the third for three days before departing on Sunday night. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife confirmed receiving no formal reports regarding these subsequent invasions, indicating potential gaps in the state’s post-eviction monitoring and response capabilities. This pattern of movement highlights the ongoing need for effective wildlife management options for property owners in affected regions.

In response, Mr. Johnson has since installed security cameras and reinforced entry panels to prevent future intrusions, taking personal measures to secure his residence. The bear’s current status remains unconfirmed.

Watch: Enormous black bear finally evicted from Altadena home